Clothes-pin



(No Model.)

J. H. RUSSELL.

CLOTHES PIN.

Patented Apr. 18, 1893.

, clamped.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES H. RUSSELL, OF MANISTEE, MICHIGAN.

CLOTH ES-PIN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 495,518, dated April18, 1893.

Application filed July 16, 1892.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that LJAMES H. RUSSELL, of Manistee, county of Manistee, andState of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Improvement inClothes-Pins, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to clothes-pins, and more particularly to those inwhich two clamping fingers are combined with a spring in such mannerthat the latter will hold the fingers normally together but will permitthem to readily yield when the pin is in use.

The invention consists in certain improvements designed to cheapen andsimplify the construction of the pin and to render the same effective inoperation.

The invention also consists in the details of construction andcombinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings,Figure 1 is a side elevation of aclothes-pin embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan View of thesame. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section. Fig. 4 is a perspective view ofthe clamping spring detached.

Referring to the drawings,A represents my improved pin, consisting oftwo fingers a a, of any suitable material, and of a clamping spring 13,applied to said fingers, and acting to hold them normally forciblytogether. The two fingers have their forward ends beveled, as shown at cc, to leave a space for the entrance of the clothes or other objectto'be They are further recessed in their contiguous faces, as at 0 a sothat an opening is left within which the clothes are embraced, as usual.In rear of this opening the meeting faces of the fingers are flat sothat they may lie closely together, from which point they extendrearward and have their inner faces beveled outward in oppositedirections, as shown, so that by pressing upon these extended ends theforward ends of. the fingers may be opened. Theyare prevented frommoving relatively longitudinally by means of a rib c", on the inner flatface of the finger a, which is arranged to enter a groove 0 in thecompanion finger a.

The clamping spring 13, consists of asingle piece of spring wire whichis bent so as to extend on both sides of the two fingers. This springhas a horizontal portion b,arranged to Serial No. 440,271. (No model.)

bear on the under side of the finger a, near its forward end from whichpoint the spring extends in two parts rearward on the sides of thefingers, then upward and forward to the upper side of the finger a, atwhich pointthe two portions are bent suddenly backward forming two eyesat d, thence they extend rearward and then downward, terminating at thelower edge of finger a, in the form of eyes e e. The eyes 61 d and e eare adapted to receive respectively pins f g, which are seated intransverse recesses h 2', formed respectively in the upper side of thefinger a, and the under side of the finger ct. The pins are providedwith heads to prevent them from slipping laterally from the eyes.

In the foregoing construction it will be seen that the pressure of thespring is applied near the forward end of the finger a, on its underside, on the upper side of fingera, about midway of its length, and onthe under side of the finger a, near its rear end; theresult being thatthe full elastic effect of the spring is developed so that the fingerswill readily yield when in use to admit the clothes and, there afterwill be held tightly together to clamp the same. I

It will be observed that no permanent fastening devices are necessaryinasmuch as the pins are seated loosely in the recesses of the fingersand are held by the spring, the pins serving to maintain the spring inposition.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. The combinationwith the two fingers, of the clamping spring applied thereto andarranged to bear on one of the fingers near its ends and on the otherfinger between its ends.

2. Thecombination with the two fingers, one having a transverse notch inits outer side near one end and the other a notch also in the outer sidenear its center, of the spring formed with an integral bar I), at oneend, eyes or loops in the two arms near the center and at the free ends,and the transverse pins f, g, supported in said eyes or loops and seatedin the transverse notches of the fingers, the bar I), and the pin lyingagainst one finger, and the barf, against the other.

3. The combination with the two fingers provided on their upper andunder sides with recesses, of the clamping spring extending on oppositesides of the fingers and provided with the horizontal portion b, bearingon the under side of one of the fingers near its forward end, and withthe eyes, and the pins seated in the recesses and extending into theeyes.

4. The combination with the two fingers provided in their upper andunder sides with recesses, of the clamping spring consist-ingot thesingle piece of wire formed with the horizontal portion b, to bear onthe under side of one of the fingers near its forward end and with theeyes 01 d and e 6 arranged in rear of the horizontal portion at theupper and under sides of the fingers, and the transverse pins seated inthe said recesses and extend ing into the eyes in the spring,substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand, this 27th dayo'f May, 1892,in the presence of two attesting witnesses.

JAMES H. RUSSELL. Witnesses:

G. B. GIESMAN, EDWIN RUSSELL.

